Posted by Darkwing:
I wouldn't mind hearing the background on it, but as far as a Trek tech fAQ, I'd say the best way to handle it would be to mention that GR said it, but that it's no longer observed on-screen, and that each designer should decide for themselves whether to use it.

Honestly, I think that the way the FAQ covers it is where I'm going to leave it. The basic answer to the question is that ships don't have to have even numbers of nacelles, and that's that.

I seriously doubt that the kind of people who make the "uber-kewl super-ultra-battleship Solar Devastator NCC-666" would be deterred by that rule anyway.

They tend to be the ones who don't want to think that the Trek world has any rules that might "constrain their creativity".